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ZOMGWTFBBQ!!! Ambulance to RV to 4x4 Snafu o.0

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90K views 346 replies 76 participants last post by  greygoose 
#1 ·
Blame Obama, insanity, brain damage... for my next great idea, I bought an ambulance. Now you ask why? Because i say! You shake your head in disaprovement. Do I have an autorama TJ to finish building? Yes and that is my main priority once i buy a house, this is a backburner mental obsession. As a simple justification i have always liked expedition vehicles. Custom vans, offroad trailers and rv's... something with go anywhere capabilities and comfort. I looked into custom vans and 4wd campers are knew they wernt for me as they cost more then what i want to pay for my own house. So the only alternative left is build something :confused: :eek: :fish:

On pirate, i ran across people converting ford e vans to 4x4 and it clicked thats what i want. I did look around for an all ready coverted van (quigley) but couldnt find anything. At this time i ran into this and feel in lust!
yes, that is a 4x4 ambulance. Search Ujoint offroad and six13 metal works for more info. That is when i decided i want an Ambalamps! After 1 week of searching i found myself in Andover Ohio buying this.








Its an 05 Ford E450, 170k miles with 40K on a new 6.0 diesel (yes its a dreaded 6 leaker). Why you ask? Cause i basically stole it! Nothing is wrong with it, just the city that owned it was going private so the firehall basically gave this and 2 others away.
 
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#325 ·
When you have stripped everything from the inside of this and you're ready to sell it, shoot me a PM. I would like one for use as a service truck.

Looks like a pretty awesome idea and build otherwise.
old me would say you are an idiot

new me already knows how fucking retarded you are

old me would say "is your cummins swap done yet"

New me would say "this ambulance never sees a trail, expedition, or any other such use"
In before partout


:sonicjay::sonicjay::sonicjay:
All from the first page of the thread. It's like they had a crystal ball.
 
#8 ·
So i have an ambalamps (no it isnt being stored at bigbchevys place) and no it isnt ripped apart yet. Like i said this is a secondary project, ill collect parts and components here and there but nothing major til i buy my own house.

What are plans?
I will be gutting the interior of the box and converting it into a rv. That means windows, couchs, beds and seating. Add in a fridge, sink/stove combo & a convection microwave for a kitchen and a shower/tub with a portable toilet. It will have batteries & an inverter with a honda eu2000i generator for electricity, a diesel heater and fantastic fans for hvac. Again you ask why! Here is a cLass b rv roughly the same size as my expo ambo; http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/CHIN...1091750573?pt=RVs_Campers&hash=item1c31a17aad ya, i dont wanna pay that and its a v10.

Now for the 4x4 conversion, that is quite elementary. There will be a leaf sprung Super duty dana 60 upfront, a nv271 t-case in the middle and a sterling 10.5 in the rear to replace the dana 80 thats already there. You say my god, thats a shit ton 'o work! I say Wrong! Its all bolt together with the right brackets and kit from U-joint offroad. Even the 2wd transmission can become 4x4 ready with simple basic hand tools. Only minor welding is needed. All electronic and abs systems will remail intact. The 6.0 will receive an egr delete kit, a programer and gauges, new exhaust and other maintance stuff to make it reliable like a 7.3.

So there be my crackpot plans. Flame on! :finger: :naughty: :bdr2:
 
#9 ·
#12 ·
People like you also said to thomas edison that his dc electricity wouldnt work for large scale energy transmission...and guess what! They were correct, tesla's ac transmission system won out. The moral of the story is dont piss off a bridge on a rainy, windy day.















:finger: at least my boat is under its own power, floating and ready for the water :finger: thats all i got cause your probably closer to reality then i am and thats why life is fun.
 
#13 ·
Fwiw.... When we converted my buddy's E350 to 4wd we used an 05+ front axle and radius arms and basically made drop brackets for the radias arm mounts. We even kept the factory spring buckets. We had his 2wd trans converted to 4wd and mated it to a 271(which required cutting a large chunk out of the fuel tank) And still had spline count issues. The trans also required a series of dip switches just to make it shift because the vss was different. When all was said and done, we should have left the trans alone and just ran a divorced 205.
 
#14 ·
I thought about running that style of 60 but figured its more work then what its worth. Im lot looking for a rti champ flex monster, with good shocks and springs this will ride just like my f250. Also with running springs i can install the conversion brackets and still drive it. Ill be using a manual 271 and the fuel tank is in the rear of the box. No additional trans mods are needed for a 6.0 as the rear housing and output shaft can be installed as a simple unbolt. On 7.3's the trans has to be removed and stripped down to swap shafts and rear output housings.

2 other big differences between the 6.0 and 7.3 are the 6.0 vans have inner coolers and a rpm gauge in the dash. A 7.3 doesnt. The whole 4x4 conversion should cost less then 4 grand for basic stock axles and suspension. Im planning on 6" of lift, locked axles and pitbull 35's.
 
#21 · (Edited)
In the past I started projects without fully thinking everything out and would get to the point of getting mentally burnt out. My TJ's are key examples of this. I'm now at a point in life where I can be stable enough to commit to completion, that is why I haven't sold off my pile of part tj. Once I have my own place I shouldn't keep with excuses of not working on something. Like I stated this is a back burner to be worked on when the time arises. As it sits I could go camping with it. Why tear into it and like normal fail to commit to complete it. Its easier to buy something when a deal comes then wait and pay more later on. That's how I think and even if I say f it and sell later I'll easily double what I've invested into it :sonicjay: I might be dumb but I'm good with numbers.

Are Unimog 419 axles on the list too?
Overrated and not useful for the application.
 
#24 ·
I'm usually on top of things but don't get the cerial references, I can haz cenyposis please!

I like stranglers idea of running a divorced 205, that being said I do have a SD transfercase i will sell you, if you're interested.
I already have a manual 271 for this along with the drive shafts. I do need a front 60 and rear 10.5.
 
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